Smooth Move, Grace!

So my baby brother (who's only just 13 months younger than me, and we're both closer to 40 than 30) was doing a favor for a friend. And in the process he managed to cut one of his fingers in half (!!!) with a table saw!!!

Good Grief Brother!

The good news, if there can be such thing, is that he did not cut the finger off! No, he cut the long way, from the fingernail down. (Picture pushing a piece of wood, with your hand on top guiding it, towards a rapidly moving blade. YEWOOCH!!!) He also somehow managed to miss the bones. So he's going to have plastic surgery on Wednesday to "put it back together", and who knows what his recovery time is going to be.

Sheesh, Chris! Wood good/flesh bad! It's waaaaay more than just a good idea!

Random bits

I am blessed (cursed?) with a very keen sense of smell. Tony says that I have the "weirdest nose" he's ever met. I am also, unfortunately, very prone to 'scent migraines', which can make things difficult at times.

Well, I had one last night that I think was triggered by the wool that I am knitting my shawl out of.


Except for the dye this is really very minimally processed. I've been picking bits and pieces of vegetable matter out of it and it does smell sort of 'sheepy' (or, as the small one said the first time she saw sheep: "Mom! They smell just like a sweater!") I'm just hoping that wool isn't going to be added to the long list of things that aren't allowed near my nasal passages!

***

Oh, my bathroom is being painted the same boring off white that the rest of the apartment is painted. I doubt that anybody else would be able to tell a difference, but it's making me feel good.

***

I went out with the girlie yesterday to check out one of those instant "just add holiday" stores that popped up in the mall. As we're walking around, checking out the masks and costumes, we run into a display of women's breasts. Very large ones. As the small one is standing there starting at them I'm thinking: 'OK Kim, how are you going to explain this one?'

kid: "Mom?"
me: "Yes?"
kid: "Those are boobs! Naked ones!"
me: "Yes. Yes, they are."
kid (shaking head): "That is sooooo silly!"

And she heads off on her merry way...

Brrrr!

It was downright chilly here this morning, and I think it's kicked the knitting gene into high gear. I want to make socks, gloves, mittens, and "oh, yeah" {yikes?} it's only 11 weeks until Christmas and I have a couple of people that I want to make gifts for! Maybe if I start now I won't be weaving in ends at 11pm on Christmas eve...

Yeah, riiiiiight!

So, I've got my archives back up. No pictures before this September though. I have a couple of pages that I want to set up, finished projects and the like. I have some of my project pictures saved on my hard drive but, since many of them are in this apartment, I'll probably just take new pictures and really go from a fresh start.

Now, I really should go do something constructive. I've got my paint for the bathroom sitting in the hall staring at me. I need to take a trip to the pharmacy. I should do laundry.

I think I'll go knit while I decide what to do first.

I'ma gonna smooch the mailman!

Well, no, maybe not. I mean, it's not like he's the UPS guy or anything! However he did manage to make me a happy lady yesterday by delivering not one, but two packages!



Yes, that is the sideways striped cardigan pattern! I found three places online that carried it. The first didn't have it in stock, the second had a $25. order minimum (but I don't wanna spend $25.00), and the third was the charm!

The winner was The Mannings, who I will most certainly be doing business with again! For starters, I ordered it at I-don't-know-what-time on Friday night. I received an email on Saturday morning telling me it had shipped, and it was here Monday morning. On top of that, they adjusted the shipping amount and saved me some money. For that they get "three snaps in a Z formation"!

Now the scarf book I picked up from Overstock.com. Most of it is "eh", but I do really like a couple of the patterns.

And...I've been bitten by a bug. Not an "I'm sick" bug, tho' if the way my daughter's nose has been running lately is any indication, that might also happen soon. No, I'm referring to the crochet bug.



Nope, can't start with a simple granny square, can I? I can't doggy paddle craft-wise. Only jumping off the high dive will do! I will admit that this is hours worth of work, and my pinky was very cramped from holding the thread by the time I packed it in for the night!

Speaking of time to pack it in...are you still reading this?

{edited because I like repeat repeating myself}

For today's matchup

Bound to be a good game!

I've done 10 repeats of the shawl pattern. I'd have done more, but I ended up being sucked into the book "Plain Truth" by Jodi Picoult. A very good read. Now I've begun
I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb. I read She's Come Undone a few years ago. And, while I did finish it, the main character ticked me off for some reason. We'll see what this book dose to me.

But, HEY! Game time!

My New Knitting Obsession

Is the Sideways Knit Striped Cardigan from Vermont Fiber Designs.

Must Find Pattern!!!

Ooooh

This short was linked to over on the Worth 1000 message board. Enjoy.

More

"So, like, I'm on this major cleaning spree..."

It's a phrase that would promptly induce fits of laughter in anyone who knows me well (< exasperated teenager voice >Mother!< /voice >), but I am. And my latest bit of cleaning delight was borrowing a sister-in-law's steam cleaner and doing the carpets! And having seen how they turned out I shall now raise my right hand, place my left on the Harmony Guide to Knitting Stitches (volumes 1 & 2), and solemnly swear that I shall not wait mumble years before I do it again!

Now, if I could only get the landlord to bring me the paint she said she would! The bathroom really needs a fresh coat. Heck, it's been eight years! If we owned this place I'd probably have completely redone the bathroom three times by now, just because I'm like that.

I've been trying to figure out what's triggered this need to clean. It probably has something to do with that winter is coming, get ready to nest/hibernate thing.

The sad thing is, the carpet will only really be clean for about the next 20 minutes. *sigh* The joys of having a six year old!

{edit: ask and you shall receive! i came back up from meeting the bus, and one of the buildings maintenance men was standing at my door with a monster container of paint! now i have my project for *next* week :)}

Wha?

Don't you hate the feeling when you've got something deep and profound to say...but can't remember what the heck it was? That would be my "long term loss of short term memory" kicking in.

So, I did start a poncho for the girlie, and I'm hating it. I know that the only reasonable course of action is going to be to rippit-rippit and start again. I'm thinking that maybe I need to go fondle fiber for inspiration. (What? Go to a yarn store and *gasp* stroke wool? The thought is so exciting it almost makes me feel dirrrrty. WooHoo!)

One of the nice thing about going back to work more hours is that I feel like I can go into a yarn store. The specter of not having enough money to cover the rent and buy groceries isn't hanging over my head this month, and it is such a relief! No, I'm not going to go crazy buying yarn (after all, I have a camera that needs to be repaired, which is going to cost me a bit), but I don't have to deny myself the pleasure of just going to look! It's a good thing.

Another good thing about going back to work more hours? My supervisor. She just rocks! And I will, and do, tell her that to her face.

M'kay. I'm going to go watch the Red Sox and knit a few more rows on the shawl.

It's bye week

Not that I'm going bye-bye again any time soon, it just means that my boys aren't playing this week. "Poor Mommy", said Irina. "What are you going to watch if football isn't on?"

She needn't have worried, considering the Red Sox are going up against the Yankees for the third game in their series as I sit here typing.

When did I become a sports fan? Scary.

So here's a crummy picture of the shawl thus far:

It really is looking much better in the real world. Like I've said before, it's a tough color to take a decent picture of. I'm liking it, but it's reaching the point when it's stating to take many repeats to get through a row. It's good mindless knitting, but I can't be too mindless about it or I miss YO's. Or make them where they aren't needed.

So, instead of looking at a boring picture, do something much more interesting and go visit my nephew Nate, a fantastic musician, and just generally nice kid. Really.

I have the sneaking suspicion...

That I'd have gotten a lot more knitting done this afternoon if I hadn't managed to lock myself out of the apartment.

I can be such a twit sometimes.

I think I need to make a poncho

Yes, yes, yes! I know I'm working on the shawl, but I'm thinking that the girlie needs a poncho. Really. She does. Yup. *nods*

But I don't need another project. Really I don't. I don't.

...and I really don't need to go buy more yarn!

Any wagers on how long it'll be before I give in?

So Totally Not Fair

I've only had a few migraines in the past few months. I've been enjoying life without them more than I can possibly say! And then I go and have two, two!, major one's in three days. Nausea, incredible pain...not fair! I am going to be *so* ticked off if they return on a regular basis again. I was able to beat today's back well enough so I wouldn't have to leave work, but I can still feel it lurking around the edges.

I made it through another few repeats of the shawl pattern while (quietly) rooting on the Pats on Sunday. I'm finding that I'm liking it, but I'm glad that it's a 'simple' lace pattern. I look at some of the patterns out there for shawls and, while they are lovely, I think trying to keep track of what I was doing would drive me absolutely nuts! I'll try to get a decent picture of it once I've done a few more inches of work.

But chances are that I won't be knitting much over the next two days! A co-worker is getting married on October 1st, and we've done a quilt for her. I made a square (do you think I could find my camera to take a picture of it? No-o-o-o!), and I'm going to be doing a counted cross stitch legend for the back of it. Or, at least I will once I get the email I'm expecting with the list in it!

Now, I wonder if there's anything on t.v. tonight worth knitting to...

Way too cute

We had another visit from the tooth fairy last night! Now my kid has a gaping hole in her mouth, which I just find way too impossibly cute.

I caved

I've started a shawl. I'm using the free pattern from Elann.com, and wool that I picked up in Vermont last summer. The wool, of course, is a wonderful heathery dark blue that is impossible to photograph well! I've only done a few pattern repeats, but am liking the way that it's turning out so far.

But there will be prime knitting time tomorrow!

I just seem to get more knitting done during football season. When I'm not yelling at the t.v., that is!

Well, like Baa, man

Which flock do you follow?

this quiz was made by alanna

I wonder what it means...

Lace.

Lately I've been having the crazed urge to knit lace. And not just some diddly little bookmark something. I'm thinking a shawl.

Now, I'm not a "shawl" person, nor have I been that into knitting lace, so I'm not sure where this weird urge is coming from.

I think I should just go and lie down until the feeling passes.

Bonus, Baybee!

A coworker of mine is in the process of cleaning out her house (it's actually one of those 'on going' events, but I'm not going to get into that...), so she asked me if I would like her aunts old knitting needles.

Would I?

Silly question.

So now I am the proud owner of these:



More circular needles than I will most likely ever need in my life. Some really nice old ones too, that are Susan Bates, but remind me of Addi Turbo's in the way that they're made.

She also put this in the bag:


It's a small loom of some sort, but I have no idea what it's used for! I've googled, but no dice. Any ideas?

Yikes!

There are close to 500 sites in the knitting blog web ring!?!?! Wow, have I got some catching up to do! And, maybe, someday I'll be able to join again.

Would any yarn addict be at all surprised to hear that I did the math and have 24,938 yards of yarn? And that's just in the boxes in my closet, who knows what's hiding in my dresser drawers...

Hellooo? Anyone Home???

Yes, it's me. Sticking my head up to see if anyone's around.

I think that I just needed a great big, honkin' huge, break from blogging. And from, well, a lot of things. I'm not going to go into the icky, yucky details, but the past several months have been kind of hard for me personally. I did some things (or rather, didn't) that could have cost me a job that I love and a huge amount of my self respect.

But...that didn't happen. And, as with most difficulties, I think that I've emerged from it a stronger and happier person.

I'm also finding that I want to blog again! For a while there it was feeling like a chore, like I was hanging around the edges of a clique that didn't want me to be a part of it. But, eh? *shrugs* Who am I doing this for? Me, of course! (and, ok, my Mom likes keeping tabs on me too!)

So now I need to take the sheets off of the furniture, fluff the cushions, dust, and get some fresh flowers to brighten up the place.

Tea and knitting anyone?